The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-09-29

reached the edge Of the morass and started
down an alley of dried rushes cutting through
this small forest of reeds.
Our elbows, grazing the long ribbonlike
leaves, left behind us slight noise, and felt
myself more than ever moved by that
strange, powerful emotion which always pos
sesses me while passing through a marsh.
This one was dead, killed by the cold, since
we were tramping along over it, between its
dried up bullrushes
All at once, at the end of one of the alleys,
saw the ice hut which had been put up as
shelter for us. l entered, and as there was
still an hour to spare before the birds would
awake and begin their flight, endeavored
to warm myself by rolling myself up in a
blanket.
Then, lying on my back, looked up at the
misshapen moon which had four horns when
viewed through the barely transparent walls
of this polar house.
The cold from the frozen morass, from
those walls of ice, from the bleak sky, soon
penetrated my whole being to such an extent
that began to cough.
Cousin Karl became uneasy. $50 much
the worse if we kill nothing today" said he,
"but will not let you take cold in that way.
shall have fire. made" And he ordered
the gamekeeper to cut down reeds for that
purpose. A lot of these were piled up in
heap in the center of our hut, the top of
which was broken in to allow the smoke to
escape. When the red flame began to arise
along the clear crystal like partition it began
to melt slowly, just as if those icy blocks were
sweating. Karl, who had remained without,
called to me, "Come and seem went to him
and was struck with amazement Our cone
shaped hut looked like a monster diamond
with a blazing center, which seemed to have
suddenly arisen from the frozen water of the
swamp. Within were two fantastic forms,
our dogs warming themselves by the fire.
A strange cry, one of those wandering, lost
cries, passed over our heads. The light Of
our fire was awaking the wild birds.
am always impressed by that first cutlery
of living beings, flying so fast and so far
through the dark atmosphere, before the first
| light of winters day breaks along the east
ern horizon. 1t seems to me, at this frozen
hour of dawn, that this fseting cry, flying
away on the wings of a bird, is sigh
breathed forth by the earth's soul.
Karl cried out: "Put out the fire. Day Is
breaking"
In fact the sky was beginning to look pale,
and flocks of ducks dragged across the sky
rapid dark lines, which disappeared as quickly
as they appeared.
A flash lit up the darkness Karl had just
shot, and the two dogs sprang away gayly.
Then every minute, now Karl, then my
self, we would take aim and fire at whatever
flew above us, while Pierrot and Plongeon,
out of breath and joyous, would bring to us
the bleeding birds, whose eyes very frequently
still gazed consciously upon us.
The day opened bright and blue, and when
the sun appeared at the end of the valley we
began to think Of returning home when two
birds with outstretched necks and extended
wings slid through the air above our heads.
fired One of them fell, almost at my feet
1t was silver bellied teal. Then. in space
away up above me, voice--the voice Of a
bird-cried out. 1t was a Short plaintive,
heartrending cry, and the little creature that
had been spared began flying around in the
blue sky above us cycling his dead companion
that was holding in my hands.
Karl, one knee on the grouhd, was watch
ing with an eager eye the movements Of the
bird, waiting for him to come within shot.
"You have killed the female, said he, "the
male will not fly away"
Certainly he did not seem likely to fly Off
He kept on turning about US continuing his
doleful cry. Never did the moan Of suffering
SO rend my heart as did this desolate call,
resembling the reproachful lament, of that
creature lost in space.
At times, he would fly off from the threat
ening gun that followed his movements,
seeming ready to continue his journey alone
across the sky. Then again he would return,
as If he could not go and leave his female be-
hind.
"Throw the duck to the ground, said Karl,
che will soon come nearer"
He did come near. in fact, reckless Of
danger, maddened by his love for that other
creature / had just Killed.
Karl fired; it was as il string, keeping
the bird swinging in midair, had been cut.
l saw something black tumbling down;
heard amid the reeds the noise of q falling
body. And Pierrot brought the bird to me.
put both of them, cold and stir already,
into the same game bag-and that very day
returned to Paris. Guy de Maupassant:-
translated for the Times Democrat.